Communication quality analysis system, communication quality analysis method, and communication quality analysis program

Abstract

To provide a communication quality analysis system that can provide sufficient information to improve the efficiency of business operators' capital investments.SOLUTION: A communication quality analysis system 2 includes data collection means 11 that collects and stores communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals in a chronological order for each user terminal, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, including at least actual measured values of communication speeds, and presentation information generation means 12 that generates a communication quality evaluation value for the communication quality data obtained from both a first user terminal and a second user terminal, the communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of the communication indicator for each communication condition. The presentation information generation means 12 includes a communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 that generates communication quality analysis information DO including a communication quality evaluation value CQV corresponding to the communication conditions and communication indicators requested by the first telecommunications carrier in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication quality analysis system, a communication quality analysis method, and a communication quality analysis program. [Background technology]

[0002] In mobile networks, communication quality is evaluated using various indices such as signal strength, data communication speed, and latency. Telecommunications carriers are making significant capital investments to improve communication quality. However, the communication quality evaluation indices that telecommunications carriers can grasp are limited, and efficient capital investment to improve communication quality requires information on communication quality on user terminals. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that displays mobile terminals that meet desired conditions on an area map for telecommunications carriers.

[0003] The area map creation system described in Patent Document 1 comprises one or more communication devices and an area map creation device that creates an area map. The area map creation device has a communication device selection unit that selects from the communication devices a communication device that meets predetermined conditions selected by the user of the area map, and an area map creation unit that creates an area map showing the distribution of communication states of the communication devices selected by the communication device selection unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-175840 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot display on a map information such as congestion that has a significant impact on the perceived data communication speed, and therefore has the problem of not being able to obtain sufficient information in terms of improving the efficiency of operators' capital investments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure comprises a data collection means for collecting and storing communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals, including a first user terminal using a first telecommunications carrier and a second user terminal using a second telecommunications carrier, in a chronological order for each user terminal, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and a communication indicator indicating the communication status of the user terminal, the communication indicator including at least an actual measured value of the communication speed; and a presentation information generation means for generating a communication quality evaluation value for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal, the communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of the communication indicator for each communication condition, the value indicating the quality of the communication indicator, wherein the presentation information generation means generates communication quality analysis information in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier, the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication conditions and the communication indicator requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0007] The communication quality analysis method according to the present disclosure collects and accumulates communication quality data, in a chronological order for each user terminal, from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first telecommunications carrier and a second user terminal using a second telecommunications carrier, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and a communication indicator indicating the communication status of the user terminal, the communication indicator including at least an actual measured value of the communication speed; uses a presentation information generation means that executes a presentation information generation program to generate a communication quality evaluation value for each communication condition for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal; and generates communication quality analysis information in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier, the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication conditions and the communication indicator requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0008] The communication quality analysis program according to the present disclosure includes: a data collection program that is executed by a calculation unit on a data collection means, and that collects and accumulates communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals, including a first user terminal that uses a first telecommunications carrier and a second user terminal that uses a second telecommunications carrier, in a chronological order for each user terminal, the data collection program including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and a communication indicator that includes at least an actual measured value of the communication speed and indicates the communication status of the user terminal; and a presentation information generation program that is executed by a calculation unit on a presentation information generation means, and that generates a communication quality evaluation value for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal, the communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of the communication indicator for each communication condition, the communication quality data being in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier, the communication quality analysis information including the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication conditions and the communication indicator requested by the first telecommunications carrier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the communication quality analysis system, communication quality analysis method, and communication quality analysis program disclosed herein, it is possible to provide telecommunications carriers with sufficient information useful for capital investment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a communication analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a specific configuration of a data collection unit and a presentation information generation unit according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication quality data according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram of a communication analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a specific configuration of a user terminal according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a communication observation application of a user terminal according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a display format, communication conditions, and communication indicators that can be instructed from a carrier terminal according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 is a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. Furthermore, each element shown in the drawings as a functional block performing various processes can be configured in hardware with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and other circuits, and in software with a program loaded into memory, etc. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms using only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to any one of these. In addition, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals in each drawing, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] Furthermore, the above-described program includes a set of instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, causes the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0013] The components described as means in the claims can realize their functions in various forms, such as dedicated hardware or general-purpose hardware such as a computer whose functions can be changed depending on the program being executed. In the following description, the communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure will be described using an example in which the functions are realized by general-purpose hardware, and each component will be referred to as an apparatus. Furthermore, various application programs are executed in the computing unit of the user terminal, and in the following description, the application programs will be simply referred to as apps depending on the case.

[0014] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure. The communication quality analysis system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a data collection means 11 and a presentation information generation means 12. The data collection means 11 collects and stores communication quality data, in chronological order for each user terminal, from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminal, including at least an actual measurement value of the communication speed.

[0015] Possible user terminals include, for example, mobile phones, tablet terminals, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones.

[0016] The presentation information generation means 12 generates a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of a communication index for each communication condition for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal. The presentation information generation means 12 also generates communication quality analysis information including a communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication conditions and communication index requested by the first telecommunications carrier in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier. The communication quality analysis information is information generated based on the communication quality evaluation value described below, and is information processed into a format that makes it easy for a telecommunications carrier that refers to the communication quality analysis information to compare the communication quality of each telecommunications carrier. There are no particular limitations on the format of the communication quality analysis information, as long as it is a format that allows differences between telecommunications carriers to be identified or compared.

[0017] Here, we will explain one specific example of a hardware configuration that constitutes the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12. Note that, although the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12 are shown as separate devices in Fig. 1, the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12 may be realized on a single piece of hardware that executes a data collection program and a presentation information generation program.

[0018] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the specific configuration of the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12 according to the present disclosure. The example shown in Fig. 2 is an example in which the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12 are realized by general-purpose hardware whose operations and functions are defined by a program executed by a calculation unit. When general-purpose hardware is used in this way, the data collection means 11 and the presentation information generation means 12 can be realized by the same hardware configuration, and therefore Fig. 2 shows only the hardware configuration that realizes the data collection means 11.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the data collection means 11 is general-purpose hardware having a calculation unit 30, a storage unit 31, a memory 32, a communication interface 33, and a user interface 34. The calculation unit 30 executes a data collection program to realize the functions of the data collection means 11, and executes a presentation information generation program to realize the functions of the presentation information generation means 12. When implementing the data collection means 11, the storage unit 31 stores the data collection program and accumulates communication quality data collected by the data collection means 11. When implementing the presentation information generation means 12, the storage unit 31 stores the presentation information generation program and stores communication quality analysis information that is currently being analyzed and has already been analyzed.

[0020] The memory 32 is a temporary storage device that temporarily stores data used by the program executed in the calculation unit 30. The communication interface 33 is an interface for communicating with a user terminal. The user interface 34 has an input unit that allows the administrator of the data collection means 11 to operate the data collection means 11, and a display unit that displays a user interface screen to the administrator. In the data collection means 11, the calculation unit 30, the storage unit 31, the memory 32, the communication interface 33, and the user interface 34 are connected to each other by a bus within the computer.

[0021] Next, information included in the communication quality data collected by the data collection means 11 will be described. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of communication quality data according to the present disclosure. The communication quality data illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example and may include other information not illustrated. The communication quality data is data linking the status of communication by a user terminal with information related to time. It can also be described as the observation results of a communication observation app. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the communication quality data includes information identifying the app communicating at the time the user terminal acquires the information (the communication app column in FIG. 3), information identifying the telecommunications carrier used by the user terminal for communication (the telecommunications carrier in FIG. 3), terminal location information of the user terminal at the time of information acquisition, information on the radio wave intensity when the user terminal was communicating, information on the communication speed measured when the user terminal performed communication, and the amount of delay indicating the magnitude of communication delay during data communication, all linked to the time of acquisition. Furthermore, the communication quality data may be data measured at multiple measurement times arranged in chronological order. The data collection means 11 increases the amount of communication quality data available for analysis by collecting communication quality data acquired from multiple user terminals.

[0022] In the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure, the signal strength, communication speed, delay, and congestion level, which indicates whether the communication speed is high or low relative to the signal strength, are considered to be communication indicators for determining whether the communication quality is good or bad. Meanwhile, the information stored in the time, communication carrier, terminal location information, and communication application fields shown in FIG. 3 are considered to be communication conditions indicating the communication environment in which the communication indicators were obtained. In the communication quality analysis system 1, a communication carrier requesting communication quality analysis information requests communication quality evaluation information by specifying the communication conditions and communication indicators. The presentation information generation means 12 generates an analysis dataset by aggregating communication quality data for each communication condition requested by the communication carrier. Then, the presentation information generation means 12 generates a communication quality evaluation value by performing statistical processing for each communication indicator in the analysis dataset. Note that one analysis dataset may be composed of multiple communication quality data sets each having one identical communication condition, or may be composed of multiple communication quality data sets each having two or more identical communication conditions.

[0023] Next, the operation of the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the communication quality analysis system according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 4, the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure first collects communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals that use different communication carriers using the data collection means 11 (step S1). Next, the presentation information generation means 12 analyzes the plurality of communication quality data collected by the data collection means 11 and generates a communication quality evaluation value (step S2).

[0024] In step S2, a communication quality evaluation value is generated for each communication condition of the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal, the communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of the communication indicator. In one example, for communication quality data in which the same communication carrier is indicated in the communication carrier field, which is one of the communication conditions, a plurality of communication quality evaluation values ​​are calculated to evaluate the quality of each of the communication indicators, namely, radio wave strength, communication speed, delay amount, and congestion level. Here, the communication quality evaluation value is, for example, a value generated by performing statistical processing or the like on a plurality of communication quality data, and is calculated for each communication indicator, such as communication speed, radio wave strength, delay amount, and congestion level. The communication quality evaluation value is a value that evaluates the quality of the communication indicator for determining communication quality. Furthermore, the communication quality evaluation value may be a specific numerical value or a level indicator that indicates the level of communication quality in a certain scale.

[0025] The method of analyzing communication quality data to calculate the communication quality evaluation value can employ various statistical analysis results such as the average value, weighted average value, deviation value, etc. of the communication quality evaluation value over a certain period of time. In step S2, the communication quality evaluation value may be calculated for each application program (e.g., communication app) that is executed on the first user terminal and communicates via the network provided by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0026] Next, the presentation information generation means 12 uses the communication quality evaluation value calculated in step S2 to generate communication quality analysis information including the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication conditions and communication indicators requested by the first communication carrier in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first communication carrier (step S3).

[0027] As explained above, the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure allows the communication conditions and the format of the communication indicators to be specified and referenced. This allows telecommunications carriers to easily understand areas for improvement in their own facilities and excess facilities. In other words, the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure allows for a sufficient understanding of information useful for capital investment.

[0028] In particular, the communication quality analysis system 1 disclosed herein allows telecommunications carriers to grasp the communication speed, radio wave strength, delay amount, and congestion level actually measured at user terminals, and therefore makes it possible to easily make equipment improvements to address degradation in communication quality that cannot be grasped by simply observing the company's own facilities, thereby improving the efficiency of capital investment.

[0029] Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, a communication quality analysis system 2 will be described, which is a modified example of the communication quality analysis system 1 described in the first embodiment. In the description of the second embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, in the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, a data collection means 11 includes a terminal information collection device 13, an environmental information collection device 14, and a storage device 15. The presentation information generation means 12 includes a communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 and an information shaping device 17. FIG. 5 also shows user terminals 21 to 2x as multiple user terminals that provide communication quality data to the data collection means 11. FIG. 5 also shows, for example, an operator terminal 20 operated by an operator. The operator terminal 20 is a terminal that displays communication quality analysis information DO. Operators operating the operator terminal 20 are not limited to telecommunications operators that provide public networks, but may include various other operators, such as equipment operators that supply equipment to telecommunications operators. In FIG. 5, devices connected via wireless communication are connected by dotted lines, and devices connected using either wireless communication, wired communication, or both are connected by dashed lines.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, user terminals 21 to 2x include user terminals that perform data communication via public networks provided by different telecommunications carriers. Fig. 5 shows, as an example, a first user terminal (e.g., user terminal 21) that performs data communication via a first telecommunications carrier (e.g., carrier A), a second user terminal (e.g., user terminal 22) that performs data communication via a second telecommunications carrier (e.g., carrier B), and a third user terminal (e.g., user terminal 2x) that performs data communication via a third telecommunications carrier (e.g., carrier C).

[0032] The communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure analyzes the communication quality data collected by the user terminals 21 to 2x and generates communication quality analysis information DO for the telecommunications carrier to verify the communication quality measured on the user terminal side. The communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 5 etc.

[0033] 5, the terminal information collecting device 13 collects communication quality data UT1 to UTx recorded in time series from the user terminals 21 to 2x and stores them in the storage device 15. The environmental information collecting device 14 collects, for example, map information MI, weather information WI, and event information EI and stores them in the storage device 15. It is sufficient for the environmental information collecting device 14 to collect at least one of the map information MI, weather information WI, and event information EI. The storage device 15 records the communication quality data collected by the terminal information collecting device 13 and the map information MI collected by the environmental information collecting device 14 in a state that allows the presentation information generating means 12 to refer to them.

[0034] In addition, the map information MI is, for example, information acquired from a map server that can communicate via a public network. The map information MI can also be acquired by the presentation information generating means 12 from the map server as needed without being stored in the storage device 15. The weather information WI is, for example, information provided by a weather information providing service provider and acquired from a weather information providing server that can communicate via a public network. The event information EI is, for example, information that can be known from public information published on the Web.

[0035] The presentation information generation means 12 analyzes the communication quality data UT1 to UTx obtained from the user terminals 21 to 2x and generates communication quality analysis information DO to be presented to the user terminal 21. Here, the presentation information generation means 12 includes a communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 and an information shaping device 17. The communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 performs statistical processing on multiple pieces of communication quality data to generate a communication quality evaluation value CQV. Specifically, the communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 generates a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating the quality of a communication indicator for each communication condition for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal. More specifically, the communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 calculates multiple communication quality evaluation values ​​that evaluate the quality of each of the communication indicators, namely, radio wave strength, communication speed, delay amount, and congestion level, for communication quality data in which the same communication operator is indicated in the communication operator field, which is one of the communication conditions. Here, the communication quality evaluation value is a value generated by performing statistical processing or the like on a plurality of pieces of communication quality data, and is calculated for each communication index such as communication speed, radio wave strength, delay amount, and congestion level. The communication quality evaluation value is a value that evaluates the quality of a communication index used to determine communication quality. The communication quality evaluation value may be a specific numerical value or may be a level index that indicates the level of communication quality in a certain scale.

[0036] The information shaping device 17 uses the communication quality evaluation value CQV to generate communication quality analysis information DO including the communication quality evaluation value CQV corresponding to the communication conditions and communication indicators requested by the first telecommunications carrier in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the telecommunications carrier operates the carrier terminal to issue a request for providing the communication quality analysis information DO to the presentation information generation means 12. Furthermore, the communication quality analysis information DO is displayed on the carrier terminal 20.

[0037] This enables the communication quality analysis system 2 to perform statistical processing on communication indicators acquired by multiple user terminals for each communication condition to calculate a communication quality evaluation value, and to provide this communication quality evaluation value in the format required by the operator.

[0038] The communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 can also include in the communication quality evaluation value an estimated value of communication quality at a future time based on past communication quality data.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, an application program is executed within a user terminal from which the data collection means 11 collects communication quality data UT1 to UTx. The application programs covered in this disclosure communicate via a public network provided by a telecommunications carrier used by each user terminal. These application programs include a communication observation program (hereinafter referred to as a communication observation app) and an observed program (hereinafter referred to as an observed app). Examples of observed apps include apps that send and receive short messages (e.g., social networking apps), video viewing apps that receive streaming video, game apps that send and receive still images, videos, and game control signals, and browser apps that combine text, still images, and videos. Many observed apps also have the ability to receive push messages from service providers. In recent years, apps other than those classified as social networking apps, video viewing apps, game apps, and browser apps that combine text, still images, and videos have also been increasingly used. In other words, the type of observed app is not limited as long as it sends and receives data via a public network.

[0040] The communication observation application monitors the communication speed of the data transmission and reception of the monitored application during a period when the monitored application, whose communication speed is to be monitored, is making a communication request, and acquires communication quality data. Meanwhile, during a period when the monitored application, whose communication speed is to be monitored, is not making a communication request, the communication observation application acquires communication quality data by performing packet communication for observation that is different from the monitored application. The communication observation application also acquires various information as communication quality data, such as the time when the communication speed of the monitored application was observed, the telecommunications carrier that provides the network used by the monitored application, radio wave intensity, information identifying the monitored application, and location information of the user terminal. This enables user terminals 21 to 2x to acquire communication quality data in which the user terminal associates various information with the communication speed, regardless of the usage status of the monitored application. Here, the communication quality data accumulated by the communication observation application is, for example, the communication quality data shown in FIG. 3.

[0041] Furthermore, the communication observation application accumulates the acquired communication quality data until a predetermined time comes, at which point the accumulated communication quality data is transmitted to the data collection means 11. The operation of the communication observation application will be described in detail later.

[0042] Next, Fig. 6 shows a block diagram illustrating a specific configuration of a user terminal according to the present disclosure. Since the user terminals 21 to 2x can be realized by hardware having substantially the same configuration, Fig. 6 shows a representative example configuration of the user terminal 21. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the user terminal 21 has a calculation unit capable of executing various application programs. More specifically, the user terminal 21 has a calculation unit 40, a storage unit 41, a memory 42, a communication interface 43, a position information acquisition unit 44, and a user interface 45.

[0043] The calculation unit 40 executes application programs including a communication observation application and an observed application. The storage unit 41 stores application programs including a communication observation application and an observed application, and also accumulates communication quality data collected by the communication observation application.

[0044] The memory 42 is a temporary storage device that temporarily stores data used by the program executed in the calculation unit 40. The communication interface 43 is a wireless communication interface that enables the user terminal to use a network provided by a telecommunications carrier. The location information acquisition unit 44 acquires location information of the user terminal 21, for example, by receiving a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal to acquire information indicating the location of the user terminal 21. The user interface 45 has an input unit that allows a user who uses the user terminal 21 to operate the user terminal 21, and a display unit that displays a user interface screen to the user. In the user terminal 21, the calculation unit 40, the storage unit 41, the memory 42, the communication interface 43, the location information acquisition unit 44, and the user interface 45 are assumed to be interconnected by a bus within the user terminal 21.

[0045] Next, the operation of the user terminal 21 to transmit the communication quality data UT1 to the data collection means 11 will be described. Although only the operation of the user terminal 21 related to the communication observation application has been described below, the user terminal 21 also performs other operations to allow other application programs, such as the application to be observed, to execute their respective functions. Figure 7 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the communication observation application of the user terminal according to the present disclosure.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 7, a user terminal 21 executing a communication observation application observes the communication speed and other information of an observed application at a preset cycle. In the example shown in Fig. 7, when a communication observation time determined at a predetermined cycle is reached, the communication observation application acquires information about the telecommunications carrier used by the user terminal 21 for communication via the public network (steps S10 and S11). The telecommunications carrier information is information about the telecommunications carriers shown in Fig. 3, and is information that identifies the telecommunications carrier used by the user terminal 21 for communication via the public network. Next, the communication observation application checks whether the observed application has issued a data transmission / reception request to the public network (step S12).

[0047] If the observed application has issued a data transmission / reception request to the public network in step S12, the communication observation application acquires communication speed information of the data communication being performed by the observed application (step S13). On the other hand, if the observed application has not issued a data transmission / reception request to the public network in step S12, the communication observation application acquires communication speed information (step S15) by performing packet communication for observation that is different from the observed program (step S14). The communication speed information is information about the communication speed shown in FIG. 3 and indicates the execution speed of data communication being performed by the observed application or the communication observation application to the public network. Furthermore, the information acquisition process in steps S13 and S15 may be performed by the communication observation application or may be obtained from the observed application, and there is no limitation on the acquisition method. Furthermore, the communication observation application acquires radio wave strength and location information at the time of acquiring the communication speed information (step S16). Thereafter, the communication observation application generates communication quality data by linking the telecommunications carrier acquired in step S11, the communication speed acquired in step S13 or step S15, and the radio wave strength and location information acquired in step S16 to the communication observation time, which is the time when the communication speed was acquired in step S13 or step S15, and stores the data in the storage device 15 (step S17).

[0048] Next, the communication observation application determines whether the time to provide data to the data collection means 11 has arrived (step S18). The data provision time may be a preset time, or may be set to a time period during which the observed application is less frequently used, as estimated from statistics on the usage time of the user terminal. Note that while FIG. 7 shows an example in which data is provided from the user terminal to the data collection means 11 in response to the arrival of the data provision time, the communication observation application may transmit communication quality data to the data collection means 11 in accordance with a data collection request issued based on processing within the data collection means 11.

[0049] In step S18, if the current time has not reached the data provision time, the communication observation application repeats the operation from step S10. On the other hand, if the current time has reached the data provision time in step S18, the communication observation application determines whether network congestion is occurring in the public network (step S19). Network congestion is determined to have occurred when the actual communication speed is lower than the communication speed estimated from the radio wave strength. This network congestion may be determined, for example, using an index called congestion level, which increases as the actual communication speed is lower than the communication speed estimated from the radio wave strength. If it is determined in step S19 that network congestion is not occurring, the communication observation application transmits the communication quality data UT1 to the data collection means 11 (step S20). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S19 that network congestion is occurring, the communication observation application waits for the transmission of the communication quality data UT1 to the data collection means 11 and repeatedly executes the processing from step S10.

[0050] Next, Fig. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 8, in the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, the data collection means 11 collects communication quality data from a user terminal on which a communication observation application is installed (step S30). Next, in response to a request for analysis data from the user terminal to the presentation information generation means 12, the presentation information generation means 12 starts generating communication quality analysis information DO (step S31).

[0051] Steps S32 to S35 are an example of a process for generating communication quality analysis information DO in the presentation information generating means 12. Note that Fig. 8 shows an example in which a telecommunications carrier is selected as a communication condition. However, the communication conditions that can be specified from the carrier terminal 20 are not limited to a telecommunications carrier, and it is also possible to select a communication application or a geographical area, or to specify one or more telecommunications carriers and present communication indicators for each communication application for each telecommunications carrier.

[0052] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the presentation information generation means 12 uses the communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 to generate multiple analysis data sets by aggregating communication quality data belonging to the same time period and the same region for each telecommunications carrier (step S32). Thereafter, the communication quality evaluation value generation device 16 calculates a communication quality evaluation value CQV indicating the quality of each communication indicator for each analysis data set (step S33). Next, the presentation information generation means 12 uses the communication quality analysis information CQV generated in step S33 to generate communication quality analysis information DO including communication quality evaluation values ​​corresponding to the communication conditions and communication indicators requested from the carrier terminal in a display format according to the display conditions requested from the carrier terminal (step S34). The information shaping device 17 provides the generated communication quality analysis information DO to the carrier terminal app that issued the data provision request (step S35).

[0053] Here, examples of the display format, communication conditions, and communication indexes in the communication quality analysis system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 9 shows a diagram for explaining the display format, communication conditions, and communication indexes that can be instructed from the carrier terminal according to the present disclosure.

[0054] In the example shown in Figure 9, the display format can be either list or heat map. When list format is selected, communication quality analysis information DO is presented, which lists communication indicators by address, such as city, town, village, or street address, for the area to be analyzed (described later). On the other hand, when heat map format is selected, communication quality analysis information DO is presented as a heat map on a map, with communication indicators color-coded to indicate whether they are good or bad.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 9, the communication conditions include the area to be analyzed, the display carrier, options, and additional information. The area to be analyzed is an item for specifying the communication conditions that indicate the geographic range in which the communication indicator to be checked is to be analyzed. Figure 9 shows an example in which the specification method can be selected from the range specification method and the address specification method. If the range specification method is selected as the method for specifying the area to be analyzed, an address input screen (not shown) is displayed on the screen, and the address is entered on the carrier terminal 20.

[0056] The display carrier item shown in FIG. 9 is an item for selecting a telecommunications carrier for which the communication indicators are to be verified from among multiple telecommunications carriers that provide public networks to the user terminal. In the example shown in FIG. 9, carriers A to D are shown as the telecommunications carriers. Furthermore, the display carrier item allows one or more carriers to be selected. When one telecommunications carrier is selected, communication quality analysis information DO indicating the quality of the communication indicators for the selected telecommunications carrier is presented to the carrier terminal 20. On the other hand, when two or more telecommunications carriers are selected, communication quality analysis information DO having a function of, for example, allowing the displayed telecommunications carrier to be switched by operation so that the quality of the communication indicators can be compared between the selected telecommunications carriers is presented to the carrier terminal 20.

[0057] The option items shown in Figure 9 allow you to select the application type. When you select the application type, communication quality analysis information DO is displayed, which can display the communication indicators of the telecommunications carrier selected in the display carrier for each communication application.

[0058] The additional information items shown in Figure 9 allow multiple selections of weather information and event information. Weather information and event information are displayed as annotations overlaid on the map as additional information for communication indicators, or as annotations linked to addresses on the list.

[0059] Figure 9 shows the communication indicators: signal strength, communication speed, delay, congestion, and number of terminals. Here, signal strength, communication speed, and delay are included in the communication quality data. Congestion is an indicator that shows the level of communication speed relative to signal strength. The number of terminals is an item that indicates how many user terminals existed within a certain geographical area based on the terminal location information included in the communication quality data, or indicates the density of user terminals by displaying markers indicating the locations of user terminals on a map.

[0060] Note that the example shown in Figure 9 is just one example, and various modifications are possible, such as hiding telecommunications carriers that are not permitted to be selected depending on the carrier operating the carrier terminal 20, or allowing selection but abstracting the names of telecommunications carriers to be displayed so that telecommunications carriers other than the carrier operating the carrier terminal 20 cannot be identified, and increasing or decreasing the number of selectable items, adjusting the display / non-display of selectable items, etc.

[0061] As explained above, the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure allows the operator of the carrier terminal to specify and view the communication quality they wish to examine in various units and formats. Furthermore, the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure allows the operator to examine whether the communication facilities are over or under-capable based on the communication quality experienced by the user of the user terminal, since the communication indicators to be viewed are calculated from actual measurement values ​​obtained from the user terminal. In other words, by using the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, the user of the carrier terminal can efficiently make capital investments to address any over or undercapacity in the communication facilities in order to improve the communication quality experienced by the user of the user terminal.

[0062] In particular, it is difficult for public network equipment providers to grasp the communication speed obtained on the user terminal, or the amount of delay and congestion that are directly related to the perceived communication speed. However, by using the communication quality analysis system 2 disclosed herein, it becomes possible to easily grasp these communication indicators that are directly related to communication quality.

[0063] Furthermore, the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure is capable of verifying communication indicators for each communication application. In recent years, an increasing number of communication applications handle text, still images, and video in a composite manner, and the ratio of text, still images, and video sent and received varies for each application, resulting in different communication quality requirements for each application. Therefore, verifying the communication quality for each communication application and making capital investments based on the verification results can be highly effective in improving communication quality through efficient capital investments.

[0064] Furthermore, in areas where excessive communication facilities are determined using the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, it is possible to propose base station sharing among multiple communication carriers. In this proposal, when the communication quality analysis system 2 is used, it is possible to know the communication quality of multiple communication carriers together, making it possible to make a proposal that takes into account the degradation of communication quality due to base station sharing.

[0065] Furthermore, in the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, when the observed application is not transmitting or receiving data, the communication observation application transmits and receives packets unrelated to the observed application to and from the public network, making it possible to collect communication quality data even in areas where the user terminal 21 is not communicating. This makes it possible for the communication quality analysis system 2 to collect useful communication quality data over a long period of time and in a wide area, regardless of whether the observed application is being used or not. Furthermore, in the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure, when network congestion occurs, the communication quality analysis system 2 waits for the user terminal 21 to transmit communication quality data to the data collection means 11. This makes it possible for the communication quality analysis system 2 according to the present disclosure to prevent the network congestion state from worsening further.

[0066] Embodiment 3 In the third embodiment, a communication quality analysis system 3 will be described, which is a modified example of the communication quality analysis system 2 described in the second embodiment. In the description of the third embodiment, the same components as those described in the first and second embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first and second embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] Fig. 10 shows a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system 3 according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 10, the communication quality analysis system 3 according to the present disclosure has a presentation information generation means 12a instead of the presentation information generation means 12. The presentation information generation means 12a is obtained by adding a recommendation information generation device 18 to the presentation information generation means 12. In addition, the presentation information generation means 12a has an information shaping device 17a instead of the information shaping device 17.

[0068] The recommendation information generation device 18 analyzes the excess or deficiency of the facility capacity of the communication carrier based on the communication quality evaluation value CQV and generates recommendation information RI. Then, the recommendation information generation device 18 includes the recommendation information RI in communication quality analysis information DO and presents it to the carrier terminal.

[0069] As a more specific example, the recommendation information generation device 18 analyzes the communication quality evaluation value CQV for a certain geographical location and time range to understand the communication trends in the analyzed area. Here, the communication trends are understood from the communication characteristics required for a communication application, and indicate the performance required for communication, such as whether the area has low requirements for communication capacity and latency but high requirements for communication equipment that can cover a wide area, or whether the area has high requirements for communication capacity and latency but high requirements for communication equipment that can cover a narrow area. The size of the communication range depends on the frequency of the radio waves emitted from the base station; low-frequency radio signals have a wide reach, while high-frequency radio signals have a narrow reach.

[0070] The recommendation information generating device 18 then presents equipment information required based on this communication trend as recommendation information. Note that in the recommendation information, the information on the recommended equipment is additional, and the recommendation information may indicate only the communication trend. Furthermore, information on recommended equipment may include the placement of MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) in base stations in areas where there is a lot of use of apps that require a lot of processing in a short period of time. These examples of recommendation information RI are merely examples, and are not limited to the above.

[0071] As explained above, the communication quality analysis system 3 according to the present disclosure enables the presentation information generating means 12a to proactively propose capital investment to users of carrier terminals.

[0072] Embodiment 4 In the fourth embodiment, a communication quality analysis system 4 will be described, which is a modified example of the communication quality analysis system 2 described in the second embodiment. In the description of the fourth embodiment, the same components as those described in the first to third embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first to third embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] Fig. 11 shows a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system 4 according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 11, the communication quality analysis system 4 according to the present disclosure has presentation information generation means 12b instead of presentation information generation means 12. Presentation information generation means 12b has information forming device 17b instead of information forming device 17.

[0074] The information forming device 17b generates communication quality analysis information DO by associating the communication quality evaluation value CQV with communication facility information Inf_i provided by the first communication carrier (for example, a carrier terminal). The information forming device 17b may associate the communication quality evaluation value CQV with the communication facility information Inf_i by, for example, overlaying them on a map or linking them based on addresses in a list format.

[0075] The communication facility information Inf_i is held only by the telecommunications carrier, and if the communication quality analysis system 4 is managed by a carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier, the carrier that operates the communication quality analysis system 4 cannot grasp the communication facility information Inf_i held by the telecommunications carrier. However, by using the information forming device 17b, the telecommunications carrier can easily associate the locations and processing capabilities of its own communication facilities with the communication quality evaluation value CQV generated by the communication quality evaluation value generation device 16, and can more easily grasp whether the communication facilities are in a surplus or deficiency state.

[0076] Fifth embodiment In the fifth embodiment, a communication quality analysis system 5 will be described, which is a modified example of the communication quality analysis system 2 described in the second embodiment. In the description of the fifth embodiment, the same components as those described in the first to fourth embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first to fourth embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] Fig. 12 shows a block diagram of a communication quality analysis system 5 according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 12, the communication quality analysis system 5 according to the present disclosure has a presentation information generation means 12c instead of the presentation information generation means 12. The presentation information generation means 12c adds a recommendation information generation device 18 to the presentation information generation means 12, and has an information shaping device 17c instead of the information shaping device 17.

[0078] Recommendation information generation device 18 is the same as that described in embodiment 3. Information shaping device 17c has both the function of information shaping device 17a that includes recommendation information RI in communication quality analysis information DO and the function of information shaping device 17b that superimposes a communication quality evaluation value CQV on communication equipment information Inf_i of a telecommunications carrier. In other words, information shaping device 17c generates communication quality analysis information DO in which recommendation information RI and a communication quality evaluation value CQV are associated with communication equipment information Inf_i.

[0079] By using the information forming device 17c, users of operator terminals can understand the current surplus or deficiency of communication equipment based on the recommendation information RI, and can efficiently make equipment investments to improve the communication quality experienced by users of user terminals.

[0080] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0081] Each drawing is merely an example for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may relate not only to one particular embodiment, but also to one or more other embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessary to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0082] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0083] (Appendix 1) a data collection means for collecting and storing communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, the communication conditions including at least actual measured values ​​of communication speeds, for each user terminal in a time series manner; a presentation information generating means for generating a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication indicator is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal, The presentation information generation means generates communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0084] (Appendix 2) The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generation means generates the communication quality evaluation value by statistically processing the communication indicators included in the communication quality data for the same time period and the same area for each telecommunications carrier.

[0085] (Appendix 3) The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the communication conditions include at least one of a telecommunications carrier that provides the public network used by the user terminal for communication, and terminal location information indicating the geographical location from which the user terminal was communicating.

[0086] (Appendix 4) 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the communication conditions include a communication application program that communicates in the user terminal via the public network.

[0087] (Appendix 5) The communication quality analysis system described in Appendix 1, wherein the multiple communication indicators include values ​​corresponding to at least one of radio wave strength for each user terminal, terminal location information, communication speed, delay amount, and congestion indicating whether the communication speed is fast or slow relative to the radio wave strength.

[0088] (Appendix 6) 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generating means generates the communication quality analysis information by linking at least one of weather information and event information to the communication quality evaluation value.

[0089] (Appendix 7) The communication quality analysis system described in Appendix 1, wherein the presentation information generation means includes recommendation information generated by analyzing the surplus or deficiency of the communication equipment capacity of the first communication carrier based on the communication quality evaluation value in the communication quality analysis information and presents the recommendation information to the first communication carrier.

[0090] (Appendix 8) 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generating means generates the communication quality analysis information by associating the communication quality evaluation value with communication facility information provided by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0091] (Appendix 9) A communication quality analysis system as described in Appendix 1, wherein one of the communication quality evaluation values ​​includes a congestion level, which is a low value when the communication speed is fast relative to the strength of the radio wave strength and a high value when the communication speed is slow.

[0092] (Appendix 10) Using a data collection means on which a data collection program is executed, collect and store communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, in a time series for each user terminal, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, the communication conditions including at least actual measured values ​​of communication speeds; generating a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication indicator is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal using a presentation information generation means that executes a presentation information generation program; The communication quality analysis method, wherein the presentation information generation means generates communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

[0093] (Appendix 11) a data collection program executed by a calculation unit on the data collection means, which collects and stores communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating in a time series for each user terminal, and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, including at least actual measured values ​​of communication speeds; a presentation information generation program that is executed by a calculation unit on the presentation information generation means and that generates a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication indicator is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal; a communication quality analysis program in which the presentation information generation program generates communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1~5 Communication quality analysis system 11 Data Collection Methods 12 Presentation information generation means 13 Terminal information collection device 14 Environmental information collection device 15 Storage device 16 Communication quality evaluation value generator 17 Information forming equipment 18 Recommendation information generation device 20 Operator terminal 21~2x user terminals 30, 40 calculation section 31, 41 Storage section 32, 42 memory 33, 43 Communication Interface 34, 45 User Interface 44 Location information acquisition unit CQV Communication Quality Evaluation Value RI Recommendation Information DO communication quality analysis information

Claims

1. a data collection means for collecting and storing communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, the communication conditions including at least an actual measurement value of the communication speed; a presentation information generating means for generating a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication indicator is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal, The presentation information generation means generates communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

2. 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generation means generates the communication quality evaluation value by statistically processing the communication indicators included in the communication quality data for the same time period and the same area for each telecommunications carrier.

3. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the communication conditions include at least one of the telecommunications carrier providing the public network used by the user terminal for communication, and terminal location information indicating the geographical location from which the user terminal was communicating.

4. 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the communication conditions include a communication application program that communicates in the user terminal via a public network.

5. The communication quality analysis system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication indicators include values ​​corresponding to at least one of radio wave strength, communication speed, delay amount, and congestion level indicating whether the communication speed relative to the radio wave strength is fast or slow for each user terminal.

6. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generation means includes in the communication quality analysis information the recommendation information generated by analyzing the surplus or deficiency of the communication equipment capacity of the first communication carrier based on the communication quality evaluation value and presents the recommendation information to the first communication carrier.

7. 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation information generating means generates the communication quality analysis information by associating the communication quality evaluation value with communication facility information provided by the first communication carrier.

8. 2. The communication quality analysis system according to claim 1, wherein one of the communication quality evaluation values ​​includes a congestion level that takes a low value when the communication speed is fast relative to the strength of the radio wave strength and a high value when the communication speed is slow.

9. Using a data collection means on which a data collection program is executed, communication quality data is collected and accumulated from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, in a time series for each user terminal, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, the communication conditions including at least actual measured values ​​of communication speeds; generating a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication indicator is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal using a presentation information generation means that executes a presentation information generation program; The communication quality analysis method includes generating, in the presentation information generation means, communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator, in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

10. a data collection program executed by a calculation unit on the data collection means, which collects and stores communication quality data from a plurality of user terminals including a first user terminal using a first communication carrier and a second user terminal using a second communication carrier, in chronological order for each user terminal, the data including communication conditions indicating the conditions under which the user terminal is communicating and communication indicators indicating the communication status of the user terminals, including at least actual measured values ​​of communication speeds; a presentation information generation program that is executed by a calculation unit on the presentation information generation means and that generates a communication quality evaluation value having a value indicating whether the communication index is good or bad for each of the communication conditions for the communication quality data obtained from both the first user terminal and the second user terminal; a communication quality analysis program in which the presentation information generation program generates communication quality analysis information including the communication conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier and the communication quality evaluation value corresponding to the communication indicator in a display format according to the display conditions requested by the first telecommunications carrier.

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